Though typically not user-generated, radio is still a breeding ground for seasonal hit singles. In June, The Washington Post brought to light a new program with initiative to showcase up-and-coming artists named “On The Verge.” (It was also discussed in a previous “Stray Shots” editorial, read here.) The artists and songs that participated in the Clear Channel-run program are picked by a “gut feeling” on behalf of the Clear Channel brand managers and radio program directors. With a staggering 840 stations and 245 million monthly listeners, Clear Channel holds considerable sway. That bubbly feeling lead to Iggy Azalea and her DJ Mustard-esque sounding “Fancy,” which was chosen to make its rounds on “On The Verge.” The single clocked in its 150 plays, and eventually shot up to Billboard history.
While radio stays shoving singles down our auditory pathways once every hour for the entire 24 hours that make up a day, savvy music consumers have been finding and redefining hit singles through alternative mediums. Vine, YouTube, Twitter, and the digital word of mouth. Those are the current primary sonic sources for a generation glued to their smartphones. Artists like Snootie Wild, Rae Sremmurd and Bobby Shmurda find themselves on an equal playing field without the help of radio spins and major record deals (all of which come after their singles go viral). So before fall starts to kick in and the Rap gods start lining up next season’s hits, now is a good time to take a look back at four singles that defined the summer in its own specific way.
Snootie Wild – “Yayo”
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: N/A
Producer: K. Figz
YouTube Views: 5.4 million
X-Factor: Word Of Mouth & DJ Lil Larry
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Snootie Wild Says: “I was basically doing independent shows here and there building my brand up and making a name for myself. Lil Larry started hearing about me in the streets and had a meeting with me. We linked up, and I felt his vibe businesswise. I felt where he was trying to get to, so I put him on the team. It was a blessing, and it worked out for the best.”
“When I saw Larry, it wasn’t even a show. It was just respect and love. I was so on go mode and in the zone, that I didn’t really look at it like, ‘OK, something is gonna happen.’ I was more honored that he was there, because that’s Lil Larry—the voice of the city. It was an opportunity to be heard and be taken further than I could take myself. I understood that, but I never knew we could take it this far.
“[The first time I heard “Yayo”] was in the streets riding around [laughs]. I get a phone call saying, ‘Take your CD out and listen to the radio.’ And that’s exactly what I did. It was one of my homies, and that brings back memories because some of my homies that were there ain’t here no more. But yeah, one of my little homies called to tell me I was on the radio. I had to stop what I was doing right in my tracks and listen to it.”
Iggy Azalea – “Fancy”
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #1
Producer: The Arcade & The Invisible Men
YouTube Views: 9.8 million
X-Factor: Co-opting Multiple Genres & Clear Channel’s “On The Verge” Program
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Iggy Azalea Says: “It’s me trying to think about the sounds I hear in music now and which ones will stick around. I’m thinking about what will be the sound of our generation, Hip Hop and sampling, and Electronic music versus old Soul records and Blues music. I’m thinking about how [the term] classic can evolve throughout the eras. Look at how classic has evolved in art to the point where we have all these classic eras. I think we’ll have different eras in Hip Hop, and what’s sonically classic in this generation may be sampled 20 years from now. What if they want to re-do our sound? It’s the type of thing that makes you question why we’re so nostalgic for different eras. Why do we think other eras are so great and get stuck in this mentality of, ‘It was so great then, and what we have now is complete shit?’ I tried to think about sending a time capsule to the future with my reflection of all the things I think are the coolest now.”
Rae Sremmurd – “No Flex Zone”
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #49
Producer: Mike WiLL Made-It
YouTube Views: 1.3 million
X-Factor: Viral Success Via Fan-made Vine & Instagram Posts
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Rae Sremmurd Says: “We started off just making little mics. We had a little computer mic in the studio. We just learned how to use all the equipment and stuff…making beats and all that. We was in the studio, just vibin’. We were by ourselves the entire night. [“No Flex Zone”] was an overnight session.
“I just like seeing the different [Vine clips of “No Flex Zone”]. You might see a baby doing a crazy dance, and you might see… you could see anything with the “No Flex Zone.” They’re starting to put it with everyday activities.
“Somebody played [“No Flex Zone”] at a funeral. This guy right here, man. Back in Mississippi. He’s in the “No Flex Zone.” They were just trying to bring some good vibes to the funeral. They played it and said he’s in the “No Flex Zone” now.”
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Bobby Shmurda – “Hot Nigga”
Peak Billboard Hot 100 Position: #25
Producer: Jahlil Beats
YouTube Views: 1.3 million
X-Factor: New York Meets Southern Swag
Bobby Shmurda Says: “My writing process is about feeling my music. I’m not a writer that just drops a quick 16 bars in 10 minutes or something. Writing good music takes a day or two, and you’re never supposed to rush music. You’re supposed to feel it.”
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“Before I was traveling back and forth or stuff like that. I used to just focus on money, because I was hustling. When I used to be focused on hustling, cats was like, ‘Let me get a CD. Come on, let’s go to the studio.’ And I was like, ‘I ain’t worried about the studio, I’m trying to worry about this money.’ They kept pushing me to the point that it got annoying, so I said, ‘I’ma shoot a video for y’all. You can just go on YouTube all the time and watch it.’ So now I’m getting a lot of other attention.
“[My sound] is kind of different for the game because I’m different. I’m originally from New York, but I’ve got a kind of Southern swag to it too. So it’s kind of crazy, and I’ve always been different.”
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